Walmart cancels Gunna holiday giveaway following his release from jail
Rapper Gunna out of jail after pleading guilty in RICO case
Rapper Gunna walked out of the Fulton County Jail after pleading guilty to a racketeering conspiracy charge. Authorities arrested him and fellow rapper Young Thug along with more than two dozen others earlier this year. Gunna's guilty plea does not necessarily mean he's admitting guilt.
SOUTH FULTON, Ga. - Walmart has canceled a holiday giveaway hosted by Atlanta rapper Gunna, who accepted a plea deal in a RICO Act case against him.
The event was set to feed hundreds of local families on Sunday in South Fulton at a store on Old National Highway. About 1,000 pre-registered families were supposed to receive $100 gift cards.
South Fulton police said the department was working with Walmart to address security needs at the event.
LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA - JANUARY 06: Gunna attends his DS4EVER LA Listening Party on January 06, 2022 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Alberto E. Rodriguez/Getty Images for DS4EVER Presented by Gunna, Young Stoner Life Records, 300 Entertainmen
Goodr, which has partnered with Gunna in the past, expressed disappointment in a statement:
"Goodr was saddened to learn of Walmart’s decision to cancel the 5th Annual Gunna’s Great Giveaway event today. Gunna and the entire Goodr team were looking forward to brightening the holidays of the 1,000 families that registered. We are aware of how much the promised gifts meant to those families and we are collectively working to find an alternate solution. Registered families will be updated about the event’s status. Goodr apologizes for any inconvenience this unexpected turn of events has caused."
Should music lyrics by Young Thug, Gunna, or other artists be used in court?
Should an artist’s lyrics be used against them in federal criminal cases? One lawmaker says no. Rep. Hank Johnson, D-Georgia, recently introduced a new bill known as the "RAP Act." This as Atlanta rapper Young Thug faces accusations he co-founded a street gang tied to multiple murders.
Gunna, whose legal name is Sergio Kitchens, and Young Thug, whose name is Jeffrey Williams, are two of the defendants indicted for charges in violation of the RICO Act. The indictment claims they are part of a gang known as Young Slime Life or YSL. Prosecutors allege those named in the indictment have engaged in violent criminal activity in the city for years.
RAPPER YOUNG THUGS' RICO ACT CHARGES EXPLAINED
Attorneys for Gunna said, in exchange for guilty plea, the rapper will not serve any time in prison. The plea deal sentenced him to five years with one year to serve in prison, but that time was commuted to time served, and the balance was suspended. He will need to complete 500 hours of community service, with 350 of those hours speaking to young men and women in the community about the dangers of gangs and gang violence.
The entire sentence will be terminated after he completes his community service.
ARRESTED ATLANTA RAPPER YOUNG THUG FACING NEW CHARGES OVER ALLEGED I-85 INCIDENT
In a statement, Gunna did not admit guilt and claimed it was in his best interest to plead guilty:
"When I became affiliated with YSL in 2016, I did not consider it a "gang"; more like a group of people from metro Atlanta who had common interests and artistic aspirations.
"My focus of YSL was entertainment - rap artists who wrote and performed music that exaggerated and "glorified" urban life in the Black community.
"While I have agreed to always be truthful, I want to make it perfectly clear that I have NOT made any statements, have NOT been interviewed, have NOT cooperated, have NOT agreed to testify or be a witness for or against any party in the case and have absolutely NO intention of being involved in the trial process in any way.
"I have chosen to end my own RICO case with an Alford plea and end my personal ordeal by publicly acknowledging my association with YSL. An Alford plea in my case is the entry of a guilty plea to the one charge against me, which is in my best interest, while at the same time maintaining my innocence toward the same charge. I love and cherish my association with YSL music, and always will. I look at this as an opportunity to give back to my community and educate young men and women that "gangs" and violence only lead to destruction."